Bengals receiver A.J. Green tries to avoid the Broncos’ Cassius Vaughn in the fourth quarter of Denver’s victory Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Green ended the game with 10 receptions for 124 yards and one touchdown.

Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay, the co-chairman of the NFL’s competition committee, has said that “safety trumps everything” when changes to the rulebook are considered.

That’s a good thing.

But defensive players are having difficulty abiding by the rules when quarterbacks make “slide or don’t slide” decisions.

Defensive players fear the big fines that come with illegal hits on quarterbacks. But if a quarterback doesn’t slide when a defensive player thinks he will, that defensive player will be in hot water with his coaching staff for not “making a play.” If he hits a quarterback who’s sliding, he’s in hot water with his coaching staff because of the personal-foul penalty that’s sure to come. And he’s in hot water with the NFL, which has the power to fine players.

During the fourth quarter of the Broncos’ game Sunday, Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton scrambled for extra yardage because cornerback Cassius Vaughn feared a league-ordered fine if he hit Dalton.

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